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| 1. |
|
05/22/12 |
Outstanding |
 "...an exquisite microcosm of the world and how it should ideally work; we live, we learn, we die, and if we aren't here to help those around us as best we can, it sure seems like an awful waste." |
| 2. |
|
03/11/12 |
Moderate |
 "...alternately trifling in its broad pandering and gutless in its paint-by-numbers effort to recreate the manic energy of, say, 'Liar Liar.' " |
| 3. |
|
02/24/12 |
Very Good |
 "...a triumphant middle finger in the air at the current, condescending discussions on the public airwaves about personal responsibility and self-reliance." |
| 4. |
|
01/20/12 |
Poor |
 "...one longs for the comparatively rich characterizations and cinematography of your average 1990s PlayStation game." |
| 5. |
|
11/23/11 |
Outstanding |
 "...an altogether devastating family drama as intimate and affecting as it is sprawling and untamed.... delivers a fault-proof human rights debate without once being aggressively or even obviously argumentative." |
| 6. |
|
11/17/11 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "There's far more to Weissensee, past or present, than any one film could ever hope to contain, but this pleasant, ultimately rushed visit isn't nearly enough to do it an even rudimentary justice." |
| 7. |
|
11/10/11 |
Moderate |
 "Peter Rosen's film might very well entertain enthusiasts of Jascha Heifetz... but to those who don't already have his music fluttering around inside the chambers of their heart, there's little chance of developing an appreciation for it in hasty passing." |
| 8. |
|
10/26/11 |
Poor |
 "...squanders its considerable acting talent in the name of limp drama and even limper social commentary; and it's giving the film the benefit of the doubt to even say that there's any commentary here at all." |
| 9. |
|
10/20/11 |
Weak |
 "The creative blame goes round and round, from the poor staging and inert cinematography to a general cluelessness about the components of the genre being lampooned." |
| 10. |
|
10/10/11 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "The look of the film reflects a miniscule budget, but it gets points for modesty and a keen sense of humor." |
| 11. |
|
09/30/11 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...appears to be your typical assembly-line horror flick... but it's enjoyable junk with a lick of human interest and the good sense to not take itself too seriously in the end..." |
| 12. |
|
09/23/11 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...a throwback to an era when action movies still had balls... pleasurable enough, but with a steadier hand, it could've been one for the books." |
| 13. |
|
09/10/11 |
Poor |
 "In positioning themselves as unrepentant bullies, the voices of Happy Madison, who produced this film, have never been more blatant in their two-faced approach to audience condescension." |
| 14. |
|
08/21/11 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...the connect-the-dots simplicity of the plot goes down smoothly, while the oft-recited platitudes about family and time actually hold some water... you could do far worse." |
| 15. |
|
07/11/11 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...a half-baked effort that frequently dispatches with tradition to cater to anyone made impatient by shots more than a few seconds in length. Alternately delightful, annoying, and forgettable..." |
| 16. |
|
05/13/11 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...finely polished and consistently charming... wavers in maintaining a larger theme to hold the proceedings together, a particularly noticeable trait here given the performers' own levels of absorption." |
| 17. |
|
05/01/11 |
Very Good |
 "...an astonishingly confident work that avoids nearly all the pitfalls of contemporary independent cinema, flirting with cloying treacle in only the handful of moments the film employs a borderline-cliché alt-rock soundtrack." |
| 18. |
|
04/24/11 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "Whether Madea's smacking some sense into a wild child or telling her relatives like it is, her advice is shrill but sound, a dose of fork-in-your-eye gadflyism for a me-me-me society in dire need of it." |
| 19. |
|
04/21/11 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...most engaging when it dispatches with narrative excess and focuses on the beautifully orchestrated mayhem, which comes in brutal fits and spurts." |
| 20. |
|
02/22/11 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...lacks artistry, but it remains a somewhat uniquely oddball diversion, though a tedious opening act makes it a bit of a long haul getting there.... It's a memorable film, if perhaps a slight one." |
